Unknown illness? (involving period crap)

[Kisa]

I've been seeing doctors for a while, trying to figure out whats wrong with me. My symptoms are:
-Pain. Mostly is my lower abdomen, below my belly button, but also in my legs, lower back, and ribs. I'm in the most pain during my period. All the other days, I'm either pain free, am achey, or feel aching/cramping/stabbing pains in the areas mentioned.
-Heavy, irregular periods. They used to be light and regular, but gradually got later and later, heavier and heavier, until we come to now. On my better cycles, I can function. On my worst cycles, I need to use super absorbancy tampons and they still only last an hour or 3.
-Fatigue. I'm always tired to some degree, but during my period, I can hardly get out of bed. If I was able to sleep all day, I would.
-And a few more grosser ones

I saw my regular doctor who had me log everything I ate, all my excercise, and my pains over a course of 7 days to determine if my diet or digestive system were the issue. My pain was inconsistant with my eating pattern and my diet was not that poor, so she ruled out digestive illnesses and emotional stress. She suggested it may be endometriosis and ran a battery of tests (blood, urine, stool, ultrasound) and told me to set up an appointment with a gynecologist.

The tests came back normal for the most part, but the ultrasound showed a large cyst on my ovary. The gynecologist re-did it to be sure, confirmed it, and put me on bc pills to shrink them. He said I may have endo, scar tissure in my organs causing pain, or just really crazy periods. I took the pills for a month until they started making me nausious to the point where I threw up whenever I ate ANYTHING! Even toast. Bc doesnt agree with me I got a third ultrasound and the cysts shrank quite a bit and dulled my pain, but the pains are still there. I'm taking Tylenol 3 on my bad days and Advil on my better days. I tried Tylenol, Advil, Alieve, Motrin, Midol, Pamprin, Naproxen 225mg, Naproxen 550mg, and Ibuprofin 400(?)mg. Advil/Ibuprofin helps. So does Tylenol3. Everyhting else will dull the pain for an hour or less, then do nothing.

Let's vote.

A) Endometriosis
B) Scar tissue
C) Shitty periods and sore muscles
D) None of the above

[MaggieTheCat]

Have you been tested for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)? Heavy, irregular periods and severe cramping can be among the many symptoms. Others include hair growing in places where it normally wouldn't on a woman (on the face, around the belly button), skin tags on the neck/under arms, and weight gain or trouble losing weight. There are more, those are just the ones I can think of off-hand.

There are others here on the board who know much more about it than I do. Seshat I know for sure knows a lot about it, there are others too. Hopefully they will add their thoughts. I would ask your doctor about it regardless.

[Seshat]

It might be PCOS, but usually there's multiple ovarian cysts visible on the ultrasound with that.

I'm tempted to go with uterine fibroids, but they'd usually pick that up with an ultrasound as well.

It's definitely 'ideopathic dysmenhorrea', but since that just means 'there's something funky and wrong with your periods, and we don't know what it is or what causes it', that's not a very helpful diagnosis.

If you don't want children/more children, and are absolutely certain about that, you could ask for a uterine ablation. What that basically means is that they put you under some level of anaesthestia or pain control; then they dilate the cervix, carefully remove any existing endometrium (uterine lining), and then deliberately scar the interior of the uterus so that it can't make endometrium anymore.

That should take care of the heavy bleeding component. Note that it's usual to insist on a sterilisation as well, for women who get this: there's a remote possibility of an embryo implanting just enough to give you a miscarriage.


That, however, would be treating one of the symptoms, and not the cause.

Honestly, my medical knowledge has failed me in this one.

.... for the fatigue, have your iron levels checked. You may be anaemic.

[Kisa]

I'm not old enough for kids My blood came back normal. A frw things were a tad high or a tad low but not enough to cause any concern. As for the cysts, I had two 1.5cm cysts on my right ovary and one 3.8x2.5cm cyst on my left. Both my mom and my grandma suffer from ovarian cysts as well as dysmenhorrea. Maybe it's a genetic condition?

[BlaqueKatt]

check your message box

[munchkinmama]

Just a thought.. I had pains, abnormally heavy periods and such that the doctors diagnosed as a ovarian cyst based on ultrsound, but actually ended up as endometriosis (found during surgery). The doc did a laproscopic surgery and when he found the endometreosis he removed it with a laser. So i guess my only advice is that the doc may have to actually look inside you to see what the actual problem is.

[Kisa]

Just a thought.. I had pains, abnormally heavy periods and such that the doctors diagnosed as a ovarian cyst based on ultrsound, but actually ended up as endometriosis (found during surgery). The doc did a laproscopic surgery and when he found the endometreosis he removed it with a laser. So i guess my only advice is that the doc may have to actually look inside you to see what the actual problem is.

My doctor really hinks its endo, but wants to use surgery as a last resort because of my age. He wants to try different medications and treatments first. BC pills not so much failed, but I gave them up. Every time I take BC I feel sick and super tired....

[munchkinmama]

i had surgery for the 1st time at 22 which is when they found out what was going on and I then had my son at 25 and then a 2nd surgery at 27. So far it hasn't affected my ability to have children if i wish but no guarantees that the endo itself won't cause massive scarring and affect fertility. If it is endo you may want to explore other bc options (such as the shot) cause it helps keep it in check.

[Dasota]

I hated bc pills with a passion. They turned me from being slightly emotional around my period to being an over-reacting, bitchy, cry at the drop of the hat kind of person.

Have you tried the Nuva Ring or the Patch? I've tried the ring and I loved it. Unfortunately, I have liver issues so i can't take any hormonal birth control.

[dragon_wings]

I'll vouch for Nuva Ring.

[DeltaSierra]

I had severe endometriosis, and my symptoms started off very similar to yours. Tried BC pills (from the time I was 14!) but eventually had a hyster as the pain just wasn't worth it. I hope you get to the bottom of this as I know how miserable it can make you feel!!!

[trailerparkmedic]

You were only on the pill for a month? Try another brand. Many women who have issues with one brand are just fine on another.

[Seshat]

You could get a non-invasive visual inspection done for uterine fibroids (basically, a kind of endometriosis-like thing involving just inside-the-uterus.

Essentially, they'd open your cervix slightly with a sound, and insert one of those fibre-optic viewing scopes. That should let them figure out if there's something wrong inside the uterus itself.

Unfortunately, I can't figure out a way short of laproscopic surgery to check for actual endometriosis, just the fibroids. (Well, ultrasound, but as others have said, ultrasound doesn't catch all cases.)

[Sapphire Silk]

I'm leaning to endometriosis myself. But things like this can be tricky.

trailerparkmedic is quite right: there are many flavors of bc and if one is making you sick, ask your doc to try you on another.

[fma_fanatic]

trailerparkmedic is quite right: there are many flavors of bc and if one is making you sick, ask your doc to try you on another.

I agree on this one. I think I went through quite a few before I finally got on the mini pill. Best little pill ever invented.